Springfield Armory 1911 TRP Review: A 1911 For The Enthusiasts

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The Springfield Armory TRP (Tactical Response Pistol) was originally developed to offer consumers a semi-custom 1911 with features and performance similar to those of the Springfield Armory Professional chosen by the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.

Today, we’ll be looking at the newest addition to the TRP family. With a forged frame and slide, a match-grade barrel, and a Gen 2 Speed Trigger, it has all the fixings for maximum durability and accuracy.

The finer details were not glanced over either, as the TRP features a two-piece magwell, skeletonized hammer, and 20-LPI checkering on the frontstrap.

After taking my TRP to the range and putting many holes in paper downrange, I see the appeal of placing so many upgrades into one nicely packaged 1911. However, those upgrades come with a steep price tag.

If you’re looking for a basic range pistol to enjoy on the weekends, the TRP may not make much sense from a price perspective, but if you’re going to be relying on it for home protection or concealed carry, the price can be more easily justified.

We’d like to thank Springfield for sending us this TRP to test and review, and also assure you that our opinions remain 100% our own.

So, without further ado, enjoy a closer look at the brand-new Springfield Armory 1911 TRP.

Most of the Gun Made team, myself included, have been firearm enthusiasts for decades. We spend our time shooting, reviewing, and talking guns for a living.

Our team includes people from various backgrounds, from veterans to instructors to plain old civilians (like me!), who share a passion for firearms and gear.

If we’re reviewing something, you can bet that one or more of us have personally got our hands on it.

Lastly, we’ll always be transparent and let you know if something is sent to us for review.

Once you shoot the TRP, you’ll quickly realize it’s not meant to be a safe queen. This 1911 is meant to be shot and enjoyed.

Even from a quick glance, you can see the quality of the pistol. The coyote brown Cerakote finish is flawless, the multi-color G-10 Hydra VZ grips match the finish and controls nicely, and the 20-LPI checkering usually reserved for more custom firearms finishes it beautifully.

The TRP is chambered in .45 ACP and comes with three 8-round magazines. The 8-round capacity is standard in the 1911 world. What’s not standard are the tritium sights, accessory rail, and front and top slide serrations.

This five-inch model would make a solid home defense gun, while the 4.25-inch Carry Contour Model would be ideal for concealed carry, as long as you accept the lower capacity.

As you’ve probably guessed by the short introduction, there is much to like about the TRP.

It has a storied history stemming from FBI usage, which builds confidence that it was built to handle duty use. It’s not just a hard-working pistol; it has top-notch aesthetics, too.

Upon picking it up, you can tell you’re holding a high-quality piece of firepower. The grips provide a fantastic hold, and the beavertail adds to the comfort.

So far, I’ve found the TRP to be reliable and accurate, which are the most important criteria.

This was a challenging section, given I had no malfunctions or real “issues” with the gun.

While the 8+1 capacity and high price tag are expected with an upgraded .45 ACP 1911, both are flaws in my book. These are personal opinions, though, not factual flaws with the gun itself.

You very well may be happy both.

When I’m looking at a gun for home defense or concealed carry, I want significantly more rounds at my fingertips than nine.

Yes, I know you can always carry a spare magazine, but it’s nice to be able to have, say, 15+ rounds loaded and ready.

In the decent-sized 1911 market, there are plenty of quality offerings for several hundred dollars less, even other Springfield 1911s. So, while the TRP has the features to support the high price tag, it’s one I would have to think long and hard about.

It’s pretty simple. The TRP is for 1911 enthusiasts and firearm owners who want to rely on their pistol’s functionality and accuracy.

You want to be able to rely on your firearm of choice when defending yourself and/or your home, and this is one you could do just that with.

If capacity and price are your top considerations, the TRP is probably not for you. If either of those is the case, that’s fine!

We’d recommend looking at the Springfield Prodigy or Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion, which we’ll provide more details on at the end of the article.  

Reliability

Admittedly, I haven’t had much time with my TRP, as it just came out a couple of weeks ago, but I have managed to put 160 rounds (20 magazines) through it so far.

The gun cycled exceptionally smoothly, and I never experienced a single malfunction. The gun was basically dripping with oil, which probably helped.

It was so much so that I had to wipe it down a few times while shooting…I guess I’d rather have more than less, though.

Each magazine ran perfectly. This one happened to only be loaded with six rounds.

Ammo Used

I rarely shoot .45 ACP, so I don’t typically stock much of it. I wound up scrounging together three boxes of 230-grain Blazer Brass FMJs and a partial box of 230-grain Lawman TMJs. We were also able to test with a box of 230-grain FMJ from Federal (special thanks to Ammoman for helping with that one).

As I mentioned above, I had no malfunctions.

Accuracy

I stuck to my local indoor range both times with the TRP and was happy with my accuracy out to 20 yards. I did find there to be more felt recoil than I expected, but admittedly, my expectations may have been a bit too high.

The skeletonized Gen 2 Speed Trigger is smooth, with a crisp break and quick reset. It also looks good too. I’m far from a professional shooter and don’t shoot .45 ACP often, so having fist-sized groupings within 15-20 yards is perfectly fine for me

Springfield 1911 TRP For Sale

20-LPI Checkering and Hydra VZ Grips

If you have trouble maintaining a positive grip on this 1911, you’re doing something wrong.

It’s not very often that you find 20-LPI checkering on a factory firearm, as it’s usually found on more custom firearms. Once you feel the frontstrap lock into your hand, you’ll know why many prefer that style of checkering.

From shooting in inclement weather to shooting with gloves, the checkering will ensure your hand stays exactly where you placed it.

Even if the checkering was removed, the G-10 Hydra VZ Grips provide plenty of deep relief channels and aggressive texturing to ensure a firm grip. They also look pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

Front, Rear, and Top Slide Serrations

No corners were cut when it comes to serrations here…only the slide. Get it?

The TRP features front and rear serrations for slide manipulation assistance and top slide serrations for an enhanced sight picture and light diffusion.

I do wish the front and rear serrations were deeper or more spread apart for additional grip, but they still did their job just fine.

Flared Magwell

The TRP comes installed with a flared two-piece magwell. I haven’t run any reload drills with the gun yet, but I did notice the magazine being guided in nicely while I was simply inserting my newly loaded magazines.

Reliability (10/10)  

All of my rounds fed, shot, and extracted just fine.

Ergonomics (9/10)

The TRP is well-balanced, feels great in hand, and the beavertail adds to the comfort.

Customization (8/10)

There was no way I could go higher than an eight, since the slide is not cut for optics. But you can add lights, change grips, and swap sights.

Appearance (9/10)

The coyote brown finish gives a beautiful peanut butter vibe…and I love peanut butter!

Value (8/10)

There are plenty of upgraded features that help to justify the price, but there are also many more affordable 1911s with some similar features.

Streamlight TLR-1 HL

You’ll probably see many TRPs with Surefires mounted to them, but I’m a Streamlight guy.

The TLR-1 is affordable, puts out 1,000 lumens, and features a user-programmable strobe. It’s also IPX7-rated and backed by Streamlight’s limited lifetime warranty.

Lastly, you can order it in FDE or FDE Brown, in case you want to try to get a little matchy-matchy with your coyote brown TRP.

Sig Sauer 1911 Emperor Scorpion

The Sig Sauer Emperor Scorpion is another beautiful two-tone 1911 available in FDE and black. Like the TRP, it features front and rear slide serrations, night sights, an accessory rail, and G-10 grips.

What’s not similar is the price tag. You can find the Emperor Scorpion for roughly $500 less.

Springfield Armory Prodigy

Springfield sent us the Prodigy when it first came out, too, and despite others’ rough starts, we did not have a rough start. We found it to be reliable and accurate right out of the box.

What sets it apart and why we included it as an alternative is the capacity. Its double-stack 9mm magazines offer a 20+1 capacity! Yes, it’s 9mm as opposed to .45 ACP, but that means cheaper and easier-to-find ammo.

It’s also optic-ready, which I feel almost every gun should be. Best of all, it’s roughly $500 cheaper than the TRP.

Check out our Prodigy review for more information.

In a shooting world seemingly dominated by polymer pistols, a forged carbon steel 1911 is hard not to enjoy holding in your hand and shooting.

Then, when you add grips like the ones from VZ’s Hydra series, tritium sights, and an accessory rail, it’s even harder.

At the end of the day, while I had a blast shooting the TRP Operator, love its aesthetics, and don’t have any reservations regarding its durability or accuracy, it’s priced slightly higher than I would like it to be.

I’m sure most consumers say that about a product, but given the amount of competition in the firearm market these days, I think it would make sense to see the TRP come in a few hundred dollars cheaper.

Am I excited to have this gun in my collection? Absolutely. Do I think you would also enjoy having this gun in your collection? *Insert the same answer from the previous question*

As always, stay safe, train hard, and have fun!

What is your favorite 1911 under $2,000? Drop it in the comments below for others to check out.